The Family - film review

Robert De Niro is a mobster in a witness protection programme who is moved to a French village with his wife and two teenage kids, all of whom have anger management issues

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Friday 22 November 2013 09:42 BST

In Luc Besson’s knowing black comedy, Robert De Niro plays a mobster in a witness protection programme who, while hiding out in Normandy, is asked to watch Goodfellas at a local cinema club. The actor’s little riff on the Scorsese classic provides The Family with its best moment. Clearly, De Niro is happy to cannibalise his glorious past, but for those of us who love him, it’s like sucking on old bones.

Giovanni Manzoni (De Niro) has been moved, by the FBI, to a tiny village with his wife and two teenage kids. Each member of the clan has anger-management issues. The wife (Michelle Pfeiffer; looking deeply miserable) goes to a local shop and overhears them insulting “dumb Americans” in French. She doesn’t say anything (it’s one of many mysteries that this character can apparently understand French but chooses not to speak it), she just blows up the shop. Meanwhile, the daughter assaults some sexist boys at her school and Giovanni pulverises the plumber. Etc. The tone is brazenly macho, but simultaneously liberal and self-righteous — we’re meant to be shocked by the violence but also cheer it on. At least these guys get stuff done …

The French in the village are idiots. They are curious about the four Yanks, but don’t seem to notice the two FBI agents who move into the area at exactly the same time. Or the FBI chief (Tommy Lee Jones, reliably deadpan) who constantly visits the house. Note, too, that the natives are incompetent, dishonest and unromantic. And bad at cooking. Which is actually rather funny, since the insults are being served up by home-boy Besson. There are probably cinéastes who will choose to view The Family as le ultimate in satire. Sophisticates love a lost cause and they’re welcome to this one.